Throughout the course of mobile phone history, the iPhone and Galaxy are the two most formidable rivals. It has been more than 10 years since the original iPhone’s debut laid the revolutionalized foundations for the modern smartphones we know today.

Launched on June 24th, 2010, the iPhone - or the iPhone 4 model in particular - embodied the flagship/high-end smartphone segment that Apple took pride in. Its “one-of-the-kind” configuration and unique usage has taken the world by storm.

However, the phenomenal revolution did not last long. In a blink of an eye, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S series. By capturing consumers’ tastes and needs (etc. large screens), Samsung's AMOLED display screen has emerged on the scene. Subsequently, the Galaxy S series became a remarkable turning point for this South Korean entity. Later on, the name “Galaxy” is given to every Android-operating product developed by the company. Among all Android devices, Galaxy S and Galaxy Note are the most prominent product line up-to-date - propelling Samsung’s reputation to new heights upon the contemporary smartphone market.


(Source: news.samsung.com)

Since then, whenever Apple released a new iPhone generation, Samsung would launch another mobile device to compete with its opponent. Thanks to that brutal war, smartphones’ prices skyrocketed as a consequence. For instance, in 2017, Apple startled the public when the brand showcased the iPhone X for $999. Many wondered if customers are willing to spend that much money to own a smartphone or not. 4 years went by, and the answer is definite: The number of smartphones crossed past the $1000 threshold is rapidly increasing.

2019, however, marked a slight reverse in Samsung’s market share regarding phone sales - with 295 phone units sold compared to Apple’s 193 million units. Surprisingly, in 2020, with the profound success of the iPhone 11 and the iPhone 11 Pro Max series - Apple proclaimed its record revenues and profits in the first quarter of 2020 - leading to a significant leap in stock prices. Once again, the iPhone became a “precious gem” to possess - backboned by the explosive growth of services and wearable categories.

THE SECOND FRONTIER: PROMOTIONAL STRATEGIES

Samsung has been extremely proactive on this front. This tech giant spent huge budgets in order to invite prominent influencers for its latest product line, such as BTS and BLACKPINK. This is a wise move by Samsung - gaining lucrative advantage whenever it releases a new device model.

Galaxy x BTS: The Strange Tailor Shop 👔 | Samsung

On the other hand, Samsung’s advertising campaigns also dragged the iPhone as a trolling and disparaged comparison target. To manifest this statement, in 2018, Samsung posted an advert for its Galaxy S9 series, and publicly mocked its opponent, Apple, at the same time.

While not pouring as much money into marketing, Apple devoted its time to researching customers’ insights and improving the quality of its products. For example, Apple’s iPhone leaned towards AI and AR development, whereas Samsung only elevated its earbuds, pens, etc. In a nutshell, the configuration between these two firms are the same, but users’ assumption about the iPhone being a “stronger” smartphone than Samsung phones are still relevant.

CONCLUSION

After all, Samsung remained its goal of being more advanced and fast-paced compared to its competitor - by adding the highest parameters to its devices and optimizing its hardware. Without hesitation, the entity released up-to-date chips and astonishing “RAM” storages as tactics that accounted for its “sustainable” strategies.

On the contrary, Apple rarely mentioned its configuration numbers prior to its product launch - even if it is a vital characteristic of the brand’s annual introduction. However, Apple is dedicating significant efforts to improve its entire system.

Interestingly, the biggest weakness of Samsung is probably the fact they cannot “force” their users to update to the latest upgrade. Nevertheless, both entities pursued their own purposes. Apple is inclined towards delivering their product at the finest quality, while Samsung chooses to be a “jack-of-all-trades” and releases as many products as possible.

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Credits for API's Team:

Content: (in Vietnamese) Phuong Linh

Translation: (in English) Bao Ngoc

Photo: Nam Phuong

Designs: Van Thanh

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